Controversial plans to pump treated sewage into the River Thames in South West London have been green-lit, in a move slammed as ‘deeply disappointing’ by the local MP.
Thames Water has been given the go-ahead by Environment Secretary Steve Reed to carry out its Water Resource Management Plan (WRMP), which includes a sewage recycling scheme in Teddington.
The WRMP outlines how the company will provide customers with a ‘secure and sustainable water supply’ as it predicts it will need an extra billion litres of water a day by 2050 to account for climate change and growing population demand. The government’s approval of the plan follows two years of public consultation.
One of the major schemes in the WRMP proposes taking up to 75million litres of water a day from the Thames above Teddington Weir, in times of drought, to be transferred via an existing underground tunnel to the Lee Valley reservoirs. This water would be replaced with treated sewage from Mogden Sewage Treatment Works via a new tunnel.
Thames Water said the scheme is needed to meet future demand for water and provide drought resilience for Londoners. It vowed that no untreated sewage would be released into the Thames as a result of the project.
But the scheme has been fiercely opposed by Twickenham MP Munira Wilson, Richmond Park MP Sarah Olney, Richmond Council, residents and campaigners, who have raised concerns about its potential impact on the environment, wildlife and human health. A petition demanding it is scrapped has gained more than 31,000 signatures.
Ms Wilson slammed the government’s approval of the WRMP with the Teddington project as ‘galling’. She argued Thames Water failed to prove the scheme is the most appropriate in helping it to achieve drought resilience and that there are ‘more viable alternatives available’.
She said: “On any given day, our stretch of the river is alive with people swimming, rowing, paddling and kayaking along our precious waterway, and enjoying nature with their sporting clubs, youth groups, schools and families.
“I am beyond disappointed that the government has decided to allow Thames Water to waste billpayers’ money by ploughing ahead with these proposals, and I know that local residents will be similarly outraged. The threat to people, wildlife and the environment is too great a cost.”
Ms Wilson called for an urgent meeting with Mr Reed to demand answers on his decision.
Thames Water is now making final updates to the WRMP before publishing it in October. The Teddington scheme will need development consent to go ahead, which will require further consultation with residents in due course.
A Thames Water spokesperson said: “Local communities have our absolute assurance that no untreated sewage will be transferred into the River Thames through our abstraction project proposals. The project is no different to the normal water supply system and will work by putting treated recycled water from Mogden Sewage Treatment Works through an additional stage of treatment so we’re able to top up the Thames with clean, recycled water.
“This is a significant investment that will help us to protect London’s water supply during drought, while protecting the river’s water quality. Customer and community feedback is at the heart of our plans for future infrastructure. Later this autumn, we will host a series of community information events in West London to update local people on the project.”
A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) spokesperson added: “With rapid population growth and climate change, water demand is skyrocketing. That is why this government is committed to increase our water supply while protecting the environment and public health.
“We are going further by introducing legislation to clean up our waterways, attract private-sector investment for upgrades and speed up the building of water infrastructure.”
